Smile
by His Lil' Half-Blood Princess
Summary: Not many people can make Severus Snape smile. That doesn't mean some can't. AD/SS father/son. No romance. AD, MM, SS friendship.


**Smile**

_This is not slash, it is not romantic at all. It's not a songfic, but I put the chorus of the song, _Smile _by Avril Lavigne in the middle because that's the song this one-shot is named after._

_Dedicated to Lukas- you're the reason I smile. x3_

Minerva McGonagall pushed the staff room door open, her vision cloudy and her body stiff. It was three in the morning and just an hour ago she had been sleeping peacefully. But she had woken up and she couldn't go back to sleep, no matter how much she tried. So she decided it was hopeless and went for a stroll around the castle. She had thought that no one would be out of their rooms. But she was wrong.

"Severus? What are you doing awake?"

He turned to look at her, circles under his eyes. "I should be asking you the same thing, Minerva."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you grading papers at three in the morning?"

"I was with the Dark Lord last night and Umbridge was fussing about me not grading homework. This is the only time I have to do it."

She walked over to the table and sat down next to him. She gestured towards the taller pile. "Please tell me those are the papers you've already graded."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." He took another gulp of black coffee and continued to work.

Minerva tutted and shook her head, watching her friend scribble red marks across more papers. She felt bad for him- he was under so much stress lately and he barely had time to sleep. Well, he wouldn't suffer by himself if she could help it. She stood up and went to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup. She put in two sugar cubes, then sat back down. She took the top half of his ungraded papers and conjured a quill.

"Minerva, what on earth are you doing?"

"You actually expect me to sit here and watch you grade papers, absolutely exhausted and stressed?"

"That's not your fault."

"I never said it was," she said, looking over a paper. "But I can't let you do all of this work by yourself."

"All the other professors do, Minerva, yourself included."

"The other professors do not have to go see You-Know-Who every other evening."

"They have other obligations as well and none are in need of extra help."

"You're not weak, Severus, if that's what you're thinking," Minerva said sternly, staring right at him. "Don't try and fight with me about this. You should know by now that when I make up my mind about something, there isn't much hope on changing it."

"I do, but-"

"Shh, quiet and keep grading. We'll be lucky if we finish by four." She continued to work, but he just stared at her. When she realized he wasn't working, she looked up at him. "What?" she snapped.

"I just...never mind."

"Exactly."

They sat in silence and graded the Potions exams, essays, and punishment assignments for another fourty-five minutes. Minerva did her best to cover a yawn, but Severus caught it.

"Minerva, go to sleep. You've done enough work already."

"No. We're almost finished." She drained the rest of her now cold coffee and went right back to work.

When they had finished and piled everything neatly, Minerva tossed her mug into the sink and sat back down with him. He rubbed his eyes and his temples and yawned. "That took a long time."

"Well, that was quite a few papers. I suggest you give your students a bit less homework."

"And show them my soft side that I refuse to admit exists? Never."

She smiled and stretched her arms out a bit. "Then you'll have more work to do."

"I can manage." He cleared his throat a bit, then said. "Er...thank you for helping me, Minerva. You really didn't have to."

"Of course I didn't have to, you silly boy, I wanted to. You obviously needed help."

"I didn't...all right, perhaps...but-"

"Everyone needs help sometimes, Severus. You've always been so independent and I admire that, but you need to accept help occasionally."

He said nothing and looked out of the window. The sky was in between black and a very dark blue. She patted his arm. "I'm going to go try and get some sleep before breakfast. I'll see you in a few hours, Severus." He nodded and she stood up to leave.

When she was in the doorway, he spoke.

"Minerva?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, again."

"You're very welcome, Severus." She opened the door and closed it softly and made her way back to her office.

Severus leaned back in his chair, considering getting some shut eye himself. But he wanted to shower first. A shower sounded wonderful just about now.

There was a pounding in his head, but he ignored it. It would leave soon.

His eyes wondered to the pile of papers he and Minerva had graded. He felt a pang of gratefulness in his heart and a bit of guilt. Minerva wasn't his age and she would probably be much more exhausted in the morning. He promised himself not to let this happen again.

He picked up his pile of papers and went back to his office. He put his work on his desk.

When he reached his office, he sat down onto the couch to rest. He sighed and looked around his office.

Then he felt a smile coming onto his face, a small one, mind you, and he sighed contently. For not many people could make him smile.

**XxXxX**

_And that's why_

_I smile_

_It's been a while_

_SInce everyday and everything _

_Has felt this right_

_And now_

_You turn it all around_

_And suddenly, you're all I need_

_The reason why_

_I, I smile_

**XxXxX**

He stumbled into the Headmaster's office again, face covered in sweat, legs covered in blood. Thankfully, his robes hid his wounds. He tried to breathe normally and walk straight without collapsing in agonizing pain- he was stronger than that. Besides, he didn't need the extra attention.

Albus Dumbledore stood up. "Severus," he said, trying to keep his voice leveled. "Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Headmaster," the younger man replied.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "How was it?"

"Fine. He went over some things that I have already informed you of. Nothing new." He sighed, trying not to cry out. But his leg hurt terribly; it was throbbing. He leaned against the door frame.

"Is he angry?"

"…not very," Severus lied. "Headmaster, I'm sorry, I have so much work to do and very little time to get it done. May I please be excused?"

Dumbledore looked into his eyes and Severus, whose exhaustion was about to consume him, didn't realize what Dumbledore was doing. "Severus, may I see your leg?"

Severus blinked. "Why?"

"Your leg, please."

"It's fine, Headmaster."

"Then you won't mind showing it to me," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

Severus sighed and lifted the flap of his robe up, revealing a bloody left calf.

"That does _not _look fine, Severus!" Dumbledore said, worried. "Come, let me help you sit down." He didn't object and let the older man walk him over to the plush sofa. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

"Breathe, Severus, breathe," Dumbledore said, sitting beside him.

Severus obeyed, then looked up at him. "Why do you care if I am injured? Am I not just a pawn to you?"

"Severus!" Dumbledore said, a bit shocked. "Why do you think such things?"

The younger man said nothing, but took sudden interest in the carpet.

Dumbledore touched Severus's arm and Severus turned to look at him. "You ought to know by now that I think of you not as a servant, but as a friend. I love you like I would love a son, Severus, and I care for you very much."

Severus gave him a look of confusion. "But you..." He faded off,

"I what?"

There was a heavy silence for a while, then Severus spoke: "You never defended me when Potter and Black did those things to me. I thought the only reason you defended me during the First War was because you thought I could be useful."

"Do you think I don't feel any remorse for not stopping James and Sirius? Forgive me, Severus. At the time, Voldemort was just rising to power and I believed a little teasing could be pushed aside. I was wrong, however, for I know now what level it went to. And the reason I helped you was not because I thought you useful, but because I could see how truly sorry you were. You're different from the other Death Eaters, Severus, because you were ready to accept the punishment and your remorse was real. That's why I helped you."

Severus looked at him for a very long time, many thoughts running around in his head. Things he had once believed and had believed for quite sometime were being proven wrong. But could Dumbledore be lying? He honestly didn't think so. He had thought that perhaps Dumbledore did care for him, but he had pushed those thoughts aside. It never seemed possible. But now he realized that all of the conversations and meetings and chess games were not purely part of an act, but truly a friendship.

It was hard for him to think of any real friendships he'd ever had, besides Lily and now Minerva. And now he would be adding Albus Dumbledore to that very short list.

"I had no idea," he muttered, trying to defuse the awkwardness. He had never been taught how to deal with such situations. Many people learned over the years how to accept compliments and such things, but since they were rarely given to him, he had no practice.

"Now you do. I never wanted you thinking such things, Severus, and I hope you no longer do."

"I don't. You're very convincing, Headmaster."

"The truth is convincing, sometimes."

Severus nodded. Another heavy silence fell upon them. "I feel the same way."

Dumbledore turned to look at Severus and smiled. "That's very touching, Severus. More so coming after that pause."

Snape smiled. "It was meant to be."

Dumbledore stood up and said, "Would you like to see Poppy or have me fix your leg?"

"I can fix it myself, thank you." Severus said. Even after all of that, the young Potions Master was as defiant as ever. Dumbledore cracked another smile.

"As you wish, Severus. If you'd like to stay and rest here for a little while, you're more than welcome."

"I don't want to intrude."

"You could never intrude, Severus. Stay."

Severus got up to his feet, swayed a little, then said, "No thank you. I would rather return to my own office."

"Very well, Severus." Dumbledore handed him a handful of Floo powder. "I expect to see you at breakfast tomorrow morning." Severus rolled his eyes and staggered over to the fire and Flood to his office, Dumbledore watching him, concerned.

When he reached his office, he sat down onto the couch to rest. He sighed and looked around his office.

Then he felt a smile coming onto his face, a small one, mind you, and he sighed contently. For not many people could make him smile.


End file.
